Simplified spring installation

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus for guiding a helical spring to proper match-up with a related element while carrying out the sequence of an installation process. The springs are mounted on a bar provided with at least one protrusion having a transition curve for mounting and retaining the spring. The bar is oriented in a direction which is determined by the sequence of the installation process to have the hook or eye of the spring opposite a related element, so that they may be connected. A plurality of bars may be connected in groups to an appropriate member and respective tension springs pre-assembled on them.

United States Patent 9] Schneider [451 Jan. 16, 1973 [54] SIMPLIFIED SPRING INSTALLATION [75] Inventor: Adolf Schneider, Altoberndorf, Ger- [21] Appl. No.: 35,662

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS 2/1957 Australia ..74/470 [1899 Switzerland Primary Examiner-William F. ODea Assistant Examiner-Peter D. Ferguson Attorney-Spencer & Kaye [5 7] ABSTRACT A method and apparatus for guiding a helical spring to proper match-up with a related element while carrying out the sequence of any installation process. The springs are mounted on a bar provided with at least one protrusion having a transition curve for mounting and retaining the spring. The bar is oriented in a direction which is determined by the sequence of the installation process to have the hook or eye of the spring opposite a related element, so that they may be connected. A plurality of bars may be connected in groups to an appropriate member and respective tension springs pre-assembled on them.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN 16 I975 F/GJ FIG. 2

SIMPLIFIED SPRING INSTALLATION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION springs fastened to an extension of a threaded screw.

When the bar is constructed as the extension of a threaded screw, it is provided to facilitate the insertion of the tension spring into an associated receptacle means. In such an arrangement, the bar simultaneously effectively prevents the compressed tension spring from being kinked.

Metal eyes provided with guide bars for fastening strong tension springs are also known in the precision mechanics art. These eyes are pivotally mounted in order to adapt the respective spring axis to a varying direction of the tension on the springs.

If such metal eyes are also to be used for weaker tension springs, difficulties often arise when inserting the eyes provided at the unrestrained end of the spring into the associated receptacle means, because the spring eyes are not at a position in the machine favorable for assembly. In addition, if the assembly is to take place at points in the machine which are of difficult accessibility, it is often necessary to extensively search for the loops and to even tilt the machine in order to find them. The increased demands on the power of concentration of the person performing the installation, therefore, may cause psychological stresses on that person leading to possible damage of the spring loops.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide for installing helical springs, with bars having known fastening means for retaining the springs to cause deflection in the direction of insertion of the springs. The helical springs have a hook or an eye at at least one of their ends. The bars according to the present invention do not require the person installing the springs to locate the hooks or eyes of the springs. These springs have been previously assembled into structural groups for hooking into the respective components in the predetermined area of the machines in question, so that it is only necessary for the person doing the installation to hook each book or eye into its associated component.

The present invention is based on the fact that the person doing the installation knows from the appropriate instructions setting out the sequence of the installation process, the exact location in the machine at which each hook or eye is located.

another to facilitate the hook-up. This assures that even after an unsuccessful attempt to hook the unrestrained end of the spring into the associated hook or eye, the end will automatically and rapidly return to its predetermined location in the machine due to the resiliency of the spring.

In order to be able to install helical springs with eyes as well as springs having hooks in an advantageous manner by simply placing them on the bars, a further embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the bars are provided with at least one hooktype protrusion bearing a transition curve for fastening the springs to be stressed in the direction of their assembly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational view showing four different types of bars according to the present invention disposed on one stamped part.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly schematic and partly in cross section, showing a bar according to the present invention on a stamped part which can be fastened to a portion of a machine by means of a resilient tongue.

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view, partly schematic and partly in cross section, showing a bar mounted on a stamped part fastened to a shaft.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 showsa stamped part or rigid body segment 5 which may be movably mounted, for example, in a calculator. Part 5 is basically T-shaped, and is provided with four different'types of disectional or spring receiving bars 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Directional bar, or spring seat, 1 extends outwardly and upwardly from portion 6 of part 5 at an acute angle thereto, and a helical spring 8 is received and mounted thereon. Spring 8 is provided, for example, with two eyes 7, which may be formed from a length of the spring wire approximately equal to one and one half windings of the spring 8. Bar 1 is provided with a hook portion 10 defining a transition curve 9. When one end region of spring 8 is moved over bar 1, the respective hook 7 is guided by the transition curve 9 around the tip 10' of hook 10. As soon as the respective eye 7 passes around the tip 10' of hook 10, it automatically moves, due to the forces built up in eye 7 and the windings of spring 8 during the passage of the respective eye 7 along the transition curve 9, behind the hook 10 of the bar 1. The spring 8 is now retained on bar 1.

Directional bar 2 extends vertically upward from portion 11 of part 5. It has an associated recess in the form of a bore 12 defined in portion 11 for receiving, for example, an eye 13 of a spring 14. Spring 14 has at least one eye 13, which may be formed of a length of the spring wire equal to approximately threequarters of a winding of spring 14. Spring 14 is retained on bar 2 by opening the eye 13 and passing the wire forming eye 13 through bore 12 and then closing the eye 13 again.

Directional bar 3 extends vertically downwardly from portion 1 l of part 5. Bar 3 is shown twice in FIG. 1; once with a spring 8', which is similar to spring 8, on it, and once without any spring on it to show the generally trapezoidal shaped protrusion 10'. Protru- 

1. In combination with a spring having two end portions one of which has the form of an eye, a mounting member for proper matchup of the other end portion of said spring with a related element while carrying out an installation process, the mounting member comprising: a. a body segment; and b. a mounting element for said spring, said mounting element extending outwardly from said body segment and including means for receiving a portion of the body of said spring adjacent the eye end portion and for maintaining a predetermined orientation of said spring body, and means for retaining the eye end portion, and said means for retaining extending outwardly from said means for receiving and defining a transition surface and a retaining surface which are contiguous with one another and which have different configurations, said transition surface being configured to cause the eye end of said spring which is brought into engagement with said transition surface to be deflected from its advancing direction while the remainder of the spring remains undeflected, thereby creating a return force in the deflected spring end, and said retaining surface being configured to retain the advanced spring permanently in assembly with said mounting member as a result of the return force returning the deflected end to its undeflected position and into engagement with said retaining surface after the eye end of said spring is advanced beyond said transition surface.
 2. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said retaining means is formed as a hook-shaped protrusion.
 3. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said mounting element is a bar. 